Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Road closure
DATE/TIME:	4-13-14 / 1048 hours
LOCATION:	Lantana Street and Gonzales Road
VICTIM(S):	None
SUSPECT(S):	N/A
WITNESS(ES):	N/A
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	N/A
LOSS:	Unknown
PREPARED BY:	Marty Meyer, Commander
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Marty Meyer, Commander, (805) 207-7078, [email protected]

DETAILS:

On 4-13-14, at 1048 hours, Oxnard Fire Department and Oxnard Police Department personnel responded to a structure fire in the area of Lantana Street and Gonzales Road.

Due to the fire, Gonzales Road Between Ventura Road and “H” Street, and Lantana Street between Azalea Street and Ivywood Drive, will be closed to thru traffic temporarily.

Date / Time Prepared: 4-13-15 / 1206 hours

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Armed Robbery
DATE/TIME:	5/10/2014 2110 hours
LOCATION:	1450 Doris Avenue
VICTIM(S):	Little Caesars Pizza
SUSPECT(S):	Hispanic male, late 20’s to early 30’s, 5’7″, thin build, wearing a mask, grey sweatshirt, blue jeans
LOSS:	Undisclosed amount of cash
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant David Klug
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Sergeant Alex Arnett, Violent Crimes Unit (805) 486-6211

DETAILS:

On May 10, 2014 at approximately 2010 hours, an Hispanic male, late 20’s to early 30’s, 5’-07”, thin build, wearing a mask, grey sweatshirt and blue jeans, entered the Little Caesars Pizza business at 1450 Doris Avenue carrying a handgun and demanded money. The employees fled to a safe location within the business, at which time the suspect reached into the cash register and removed an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then fled the business in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information regarding this crime should contact the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070. You may also contact the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (805) 222-8477 and http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: May 11, 2014, 0315 hrs.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Felony arrests of gang members for violation of parole and probation
DATE/TIME:	5/27/14; 1300
LOCATION:	3000 Block S. “L” Street
VICTIM(S):	State of CA
SUSPECT(S):	Justin Villa, 27 year old Oxnard resident Jaime Duenes, 28 year old Oxnard resident Jesus Melendez, 29 year old Oxnard resident



PREPARED BY:	Bill Crisostomo, Sergeant
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Bill Crisostomo, Sergeant 385-7600 [email protected]

DETAILS:

On May 27, 2014 at 1300 hours, officers from the Oxnard Police Department Special Enforcement Unit and Violent Crimes Unit conducted a probation search on documented gang member Jaime Duenes, in the 3000 block of South “L” St.

During the search on Duenes officers contacted Justin Villa and Jesus Melendez. Villa and Melendez are also documented gang members and are on parole.

Duenes was arrested for violation of his probation and Melendez was arrested for violation of his parole due to being contacted with other gang members. Villa already had an outstanding felony warrant for violation of parole.

A nearby pre-school was placed into a brief lock-down during this incident.

Duenes is currently in the Post Release Offender Program, created by Assembly Bill 109 – the 2011 Public Safety Realignment – which was effective October 1, 2011. This program mandates that individuals sentenced to non-violent, non-serious (irrespective of priors) or non-sex offenses will serve their sentences in county jails instead of state prison. The public should be aware that release under AB 109 is based on the offender’s most recent committing offense. Prior convictions arenot considered.

The Oxnard Police Department continues to encourage residents to be partners in public safety as part of the Operation Safer and Stronger initiative. Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the Oxnard Police Department at 385-7600, or the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (805) 222-8477 and http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: May 27, 2014/1700

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Homicide
DATE/TIME:	September 8, 2014 9:25 a.m.
LOCATION:	4600 Block of Cloyne Street, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	21-year old Oxnard resident; name withheld pending notification of next of kin
SUSPECT(S):	Unknown
PREPARED BY:	Commander Eric S. Sonstegard, Investigative Services Bureau (805) 385-7801, [email protected]
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Martin Perez, Investigative Services Bureau (805) 385-7680, [email protected]

DETAILS: On September 8, 2014, at approximately 9:25 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to the 4600 block of Cloyne Street in the City of Oxnard reference a report of a gunshot victim. Upon their arrival, officers located a male subject suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The victim was transported to the Ventura County Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The victim was a 21-year old Oxnard resident whose name is being withheld until his family is notified.

The location of the shooting was across the street from Hathaway Elementary School. School Resource Officers with the Oxnard Police Department were amongst the first responders and met with school and district officials to coordinate a lockdown of the campus. There were no indications that any suspects entered the campus or at any time any of the students were in danger. The lockdown was lifted approximately one hour after the shooting was reported. School Resource Officers remained in contact with school officials throughout the day to coordinate a smooth dismissal at the end of the school day as investigators remained on scene for several hours.

This is the sixth homicide that has occurred in the city of Oxnard in 2014. The City of Oxnard offers a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspect(s) in homicide cases.

Investigators from the Major Crimes Unit are continuing their investigation into this tragic incident. We are deeply concerned about the proximity to an elementary school and we want to encourage neighborhood residents or anyone that was in the area that may have information about this incident to call Detective Martin Perez at (805) 385-7680. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the violent crimes hotline at (805) 982-7070 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

You can also visit this site http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or email.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: September 8, 2014, 1500 hours

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Arrest for Cultivating Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana for Sale, Obtaining Utility Services without Paying, Maintaining Place for Selling or Using Controlled Substance
DATE/TIME:	January 8, 2015, 7:00 PM
LOCATION:	1600 Block Pine Street, Oxnard
SUSPECT(S):	Chad Fergeson 43 years old Erin Kelly 33 years old
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Charles Woodruff 805 385 7636 [email protected]
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Robert Valenzuela 805 308-7637 [email protected]

DETAILS:: Information on the cultivation of Marijuana in the area of the 1600 block of Pine Street lead to the arrests of Chad Fergeson and Erin Kelly for Cultivating and possession for sales of Marijuana.

Narcotic investigators from the West County Street Team received information that a group had a possible Marijuana grow in a business in the 1600 block of Pine Street in the City of Oxnard. Some of the information received by investigators complained of a strong odor of Marijuana coming from this business.

Investigators served a search warrant on the location and located a large indoor Marijuana grow operation. Investigators seized over 2,000 Marijuana plants as well as locating evidence consistent with sales of Marijuana from this location. Investigators also found evidence that the power had been bypassed which allowed the operation to run without paying for the power utilities. Investigators advised that the potential value from this type of grow would have been over several million dollars.

Investigators contacted Chad Fergeson and Erin Kelly at the location who were attempting to hide at the location from officers. They were later arrested for Cultivating and Possessing Marijuana for Sale. Both suspects were transported and booked at the Ventura County Main Jail.

The West County Street Team is made up of Sheriff’s Office, Santa Paula Police Department, and the Oxnard Police Department narcotics detectives working cooperatively in the investigation of narcotics offenses occurring in the western portion of Ventura County.

The Oxnard Police Department continues to encourage residents to be partners in public safety as part of the Operation Safer and Stronger initiative. Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (805) 222-8477 and www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus

DATE / TIME PREPARED: January 9, 2015, 3:00PM

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Stolen Vehicle Recovery and Arrest
DATE/TIME:	February 2, 2015 / 4:45 PM
LOCATION:	Ventura Road and Wagon Wheel Road
VICTIM(S):	State of California
SUSPECT(S):	Alonzo Juventino Hernandez, 27 year old Oxnard resident
PREPARED BY:	Denise Shadinger, Sergeant
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Senior Officer Charles Buttell Phone: (805) 385-7600 Email: [email protected]

DETAILS:

On February 2, 2015, at 4:45 PM, an Oxnard Police Officer observed a 2015 Toyota Camry matching the description of a vehicle stolen on January 28, 2015 from the 5800 block of Edison Road. The vehicle was driven by Alonzo Juventino Hernandez, a 27 year old Oxnard resident. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle at Ventura and Wagon Wheel Roads, but Hernandez fled the vehicle on foot. The officer chased Hernandez on foot into the river bottom under the 101 freeway. A citizen bystander, who observed the incident, assisted the officer in the foot pursuit.

Hernandez ran for a short distance in the river bottom before he entered a body of water approximately ten feet deep and tried to swim away from the officer. The citizen, a Navy Lieutenant from the CBC Base at Port Hueneme, jumped into the water in an attempt to catch Hernandez. Hernandez was subdued by the citizen when he came back onto land and tried to flee on foot. The citizen detained Hernandez until the officer could place him under arrest.

Hernandez was arrested for being in possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting or delaying a peace officer’s duties, and fleeing the scene of an accident, as Hernandez left the stolen vehicle in drive when he fled on foot. The vehicle collided with an unoccupied, parked vehicle causing minor damage.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Senior Officer Buttell of the Oxnard Police Department Auto Theft Task Force at (805) 385-7600.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: January 8, 2015/1715

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Officer Involved Injury Traffic Collision
DATE/TIME:	March 7, 2014 / 0218 hours
LOCATION:	Oxnard Boulevard South of Gonzales Road
PARTY 1:	On Duty Peace Officer
VEHICLE 1:	Marked black and white police unit
PARTY 2:	Alexis Andrade, 18 years, Oxnard Resident
VEHICLE 2:	Cream, 2012 Chrysler 300

PREPARED BY:	Senior Officer Maria Peña (805) 385-7750 [email protected]
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Senior Officer Maria Peña (805) 385-7750 [email protected]

DETAILS:

On March 7, 2015, at about 11:46 A.M., officers from the Oxnard Police Department and EMS personnel responded to Oxnard Boulevard south of Gonzalez Road (in front of McDonald’s Restaurant) reference an injury collision involving a police unit and a Cream Chrysler 300.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the police vehicle, driven by an on duty peace officer, was traveling northbound on Oxnard Boulevard towards Gonzales Road. The officer was responding to assist an officer that was involved fight. The Chrysler 300, driven by Alexis Andrade, was traveling southbound on Oxnard Boulevard from Gonzales Road in the number two lane. Just prior to making a left turn from northbound Oxnard Boulevard towards the frontage road of Oxnard Boulevard in front of McDonalds Restaurant, the officer activated the overheard light and siren of the police unit. As the officer was making the left turn with its lights and siren activated the Chrysler broadsided the police unit.

Driver Andrade suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision. Passengers Maria Y. Loza and Aden Andrade were not injured as a result of the collision. The officer driving the police unit suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision and is in stable condition.

If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Senior Officer Maria Peña at (805) 385-7750. The investigation is continuing.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	2014 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data shows a continued increase in Oxnard crime
DATE/TIME:	January-December 2014
LOCATION:	Citywide
PREPARED BY:	Miguel Lopez, Community Affairs Manager
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Miguel Lopez, Community Affairs Manager (805) 385-7631

DETAILS: The FBI gathers crime statistics from law enforcement agencies each year as part of their Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The UCR Program collects data on four violent crimes and four property crimes. The purpose of the program is to generate a reliable set of crime statistics for use by law enforcement. The Oxnard Police Department has been a participating UCR agency for over forty (40) years and believes it is important to share the crime data with our residents.

The City of Oxnard began to see a rise in reported crime in 2012 and we continued to experience an increase through 2014. The UCR crime categories and the reported crime data for 2013 and 2014 are listed below:

Part I Crimes                         2013                2014                            Numerical Difference

Violent Crimes
Homicide                                 15 11 -4
Rape                                       10 45 35
Robbery                                  328 447 119
Aggravated Assault 298 381 83
Total 651 884 233

Property Crimes
Burglary 974 1,172 198
Motor Vehicle Theft 664 735 71
Larceny (Theft) 3,436 4,475 1,039
Arson 36 27 -9
Total 5,110 6,409                           1,299
OVERALL TOTAL 5,761 7,293                          1,532

Under the categories of Violent Crimes, there was a 36.3% increase in robberies. The city experienced a series of commercial robberies through the Saviers Road and Ventura Road corridors that contributed to a 41.1% increase in commercial robberies in 2014.

The city experienced eleven (11) homicides in 2014. This is in comparison to the fifteen (15) experienced in 2013 and the 10-year city average of 11.9. The crime category of rape saw a considerable increase after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) implemented a change in the report definition for rape, broadening the reporting requirement. Under the new requirement, approximately thirty-one (31) additional crimes were reported, accounting for the majority of the increase. Reporting under the previous definition of rape, there would have been an increase of four (4) crimes.

For reporting purposes, the crime category of larceny (theft) is divided into eight classifications: Bicycles, Coin-Operated Devices, From Building, From Motor Vehicle, Purse-Snatch/Pick Pocket, Shoplift, Vehicle Parts, andAll Other. Listed below is the comparison from 2013 to 2014:
                                                                                                Numerical
Category                                2013                2014               Difference                  % Change
From Motor Vehicle 1,308               1,824               516                              39.4%
Shoplifting                               926                  1,185               279                              30.1%
All Others                                499                  769                  270                              54.1%
Vehicle Parts 435                  358                  -77                               -17.7%
Bicycles 129                  161                  32                                24.8%
From Buildings                        131                  140                  9                                  6.8%
Coin-Operated Devices 5                      28                    23                                460%
Purse-Snatch/Pick Pocket 3                      10                    7                                  233%
TOTAL                                   3,436               4,475

Many of our thefts from motor vehicles can be attributed to unlocked or unsecured vehicles with valuables left in plain sight which can ultimately be prevented. At the beginning of 2014, the Oxnard Police Department launched our Operation Safer and Stronger initiative aimed at addressing current crime trends and empowering our community members to help improve public safety throughout the City of Oxnard. We hosted a series of crime prevention seminars available to the public throughout the year. The topics of the seminars included: “What is Suspicious?” Reporting Crimes in our city, Identity theft, Child safety, Burglary prevention, Cyber safety (including bullying), Robbery, Self-defense (our Oxnard Police RADD program), as well as scams and other crimes targeting the elderly, Graffiti/gangs, and others.

In addition to the crime prevention seminars, we created the Firearms Strike Team (FAST), led by the Violent Crimes Unit, to proactively remove firearms from prohibited persons in the city. The objective of FAST was to reduce gun violence in Oxnard through education, intervention, and enforcement. Overall, in 2014, Oxnard officers made one-hundred and six (106) firearms-related arrests and the Oxnard Police Department seized two-hundred and forty (240) firearms. Gang-related aggravated assaults decreased 24.4% during calendar year 2014 with forty-five (45) being reported, down from fifty-six (56) in 2013.

In response to a third consecutive year of increases in motor vehicle theft, the Oxnard Police Department recently created the Oxnard Auto Theft Task Force (OATTF) which is a concentrated effort with investigators and crime analysis personnel to identify repeat offenders and auto theft trends and ultimately decrease the number of auto thefts experienced by Oxnard residents in 2015.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 4/3/2015, 1600 hours

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:

Arrest for:
Possession for Sales of Controlled Substance and
Dangerous Drugs
Possession of a Stolen Handgun
Manufacturing of Marijuana Extract and Cocaine Base
Child Endangerment
Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance
Possession for Sales of Pharmaceutical Narcotics

DATE/TIME:

4-16-15/ 4-17-15 3:00 PM

LOCATION:

2100 Blk Paseo Isla
1800 Blk La Puerta

VICTIM(S):

SUSPECT(S):

Norberto Esquivel 35 years of age Oxnard Resident
Vincent Lucero 31years of age Oxnard Resident
Jose Vara 50 years of Age Oxnard Resident

WITNESS(ES):

SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):

LOSS:

PREPARED BY:

Sergeant Charles Woodruff 805 385 7636
[email protected]

CONTACT PERSON &
CONTACT INFO:

James Langford 805 385-7637
[email protected]

DETAILS:Narcotic investigators from the West County Street Team concluded their investigation into two separate locations in the city of Oxnard. Detectives had received complaints of narcotic activity in the neighborhoods were these homes were located.

On 4-16-15 Detectives contacted suspect Vincent Lucero while driving his vehicle in the area of Rose Ave School. Detectives followed up the contact with a search warrant service at Lucero’s home in the 1800 Block of La Puerta. While walking up to the location, detectives contacted a potential customer Jose Vara, while he was standing at the front door. He was later arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. During the search of the residence, detectives located a pound of Methamphetamine, several pounds of marijuana, quarter pound of cocaine and cocaine base. They also located evidence of the manufacturing of the cocaine base and concentrated cannabis (honey oil). Also located were a reported stolen handgun and an undisclosed amount of cash. Child Protective Services were called to the scene.

Lucero was arrested for several felony charges and later booked at the Ventura County jail.

On 4-17-15, detectives contacted suspect Norberto Esquivel after walking away from his residence in the 2100 Block of Paseo Isla. Detectives served a search warrant at his residence and located several different types of prescription narcotics and evidence of sales of these pills. He had over 400 pills in total and large amount cash.

Esquivel was arrested for possession of sales of controlled substance and later booked into Ventura county jail.

The West County Street Team is made up of Sheriff’s Office, Santa Paula Police Department, and the Oxnard Police Department narcotics detectives working cooperatively in the investigation of narcotics offenses occurring in the western portion of Ventura County.

The Oxnard Police Department continues to encourage residents to be partners in public safety as part of the Operation Safer and Stronger initiative. Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (805) 222-8477 and www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Arrest for Criminal Threats and Felony Warrant
DATE/TIME:	7/7/2015, 10:50am
LOCATION:	1100 Block of Entrada Drive, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	City of Oxnard Employees, Names Withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Nigel Hawthorne-Samuels, 23 year old Oxnard resident
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Denise Shadinger
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Sergeant Denise Shadinger, 805-385-7600

DETAILS
On 7/7/2015, officials from the City of Oxnard Code Compliance Office, with the assistance of Traffic Service Assistants from the Oxnard Police Department, were conducting enforcement operations in the 1100 block of Entrada Drive regarding illegally parked vehicles and trailers. The owner of one of the vehicles being towed, Nigel Hawthorne-Samuels, made several threatening statements that he would shoot anyone who touched his trailer. Officers from the Oxnard Police Department were called to assist. Hawthorne-Samuels fled into his residence when officers arrived. Phone contact was made with Hawthorne-Samuels and he voluntarily came out of the residence where he was taken into custody without incident. Hawthorne-Samuels was arrested for making criminal threats and an outstanding felony warrant.

During the incident Brekke Elementary School was placed on lock down for precautionary measures to keep students on campus during the incident.

During a search of the residence, a male adult unrelated to the incident was arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.